Control Freak Mind
by DBT the awesome
Summary: Daniel Atlas never had any reason to doubt Dylan and the Eye, but there's only so much blind obedience his control-freak mind can take. .:One-shot:. Danley


Title: Control Freak Mind

Summary: Daniel Atlas never had any reason to doubt Dylan and the Eye, but there's only so much blind obedience his control-freak mind can take. .:One-shot:. Danley

* * *

Daniel J. Atlas looked up at his bedroom wall, plastered with newspaper articles of the Four Horsemen and their incredible magic acts. He allowed himself another proud grin, knowing that no one will ever find out about what truly happened.

It had been two weeks since, and the commotion seemed to have died down. Not to Daniel, though, who loved to reminisce how he had outsmarted everyone. Granted, the idea had been Dylan's all along, but he took pride in being the self-proclaimed leader of the group.

He was back in Brooklyn, just relaxing and laying low until the public forgot about the four of them. The Eye had given them two weeks of break to thank and reward them for their good work. Their holiday was almost over, but he hadn't heard anything from them yet.

As if on cue, a note flew in from the open window and it landed neatly on his open palm, the sign of the Eye staring up at him. Eagerly, he opened the envelope, devouring its contents with his eyes. A smirk lay on his lips as he pocketed his phone, grabbed his keys and walked out of the door.

The cool breeze of early autumn rustled his hair and he shoved his hands into his pockets as he continued his walk, the barely concealed excited smile on his face. The cover of night prevented him from being recognized by the public as one of 'them magicians' while he strolled into the park, gate unlocked and left open, probably by Jack.

Lights illuminated the park and the carousel spun, and in front of it stood the three other Horsemen, waiting for him. "Sorry I'm late," he announced his presence, all eyes turned to face him. He nodded in greeting, and they nodded back wordlessly.

A sound came from behind Daniel, and they all spun round to face the tree to see Dylan Rhodes emerging from behind it. "I trust you had a good break?" He didn't give them time to answer, before moving on. "It's time for your next stunt."

Sounds and words of excitement came from the Four Horsemen, and they each received a set of instructions, save for Daniel. Dylan motioned for him to talk a walk together, and he immediately complied. "The Eye thinks you have potential, as their leader, and you're given a special opportunity. Good luck." He handed an envelope to Daniel, and left just as quickly as he came.

The magician wasted no time in opening the envelope and skimming through it. The first part is simple, explaining how to use a technique to hack into a company's mainframe, steal their money and humiliate the CEO. Then, it gets complicated.

The company: Geo-netics. Its CEO: David Atlas, Daniel's brother.

_._._._._.

Daniel spent the next day conflicted and uneasy. He had decided not to go back to his friends that night, because there was no way he was going to face them when he was in such a state. That night he went back to the carousel and waited for Dylan, to tell him his final decision.

Sure enough, the undercover FBI agent showed up, appearing from behind the tree once more. "I can't do it."

Surprise was evident on Dylan's face as he looked at the magician. He never expected Daniel, the fearless leader who always kept his cool, to admit defeat. "You realize what's expected of you as part of the Eye, right?"

"Yes, blind obedience, I'm well aware of what I entered into; but I can't do this. He's my brother, for God's sake!" he snapped, looking away.

Dylan's brows furrowed at his words, knowing the implications of not accepting a task set by his superiors. "Daniel, how about you reconsider this. I mean-"

"No means no. That's my final decision." With that, Daniel turned and walked away, leaving a very distressed FBI agent.

_._._._._.

It's late at night, almost morning already, but the three Horsemen still show up at Dylan's request. It was urgent, and he needed all three of them there.

"Daniel's refused to accept his task," he said in a very serious tone.

Merritt rolled his eyes. "You called us here in the middle of the night just to tell us that Danny-boy doesn't want to do something?"

Dylan gave him a look, and the mentalist immediately shut up. "One of the requirements of being part of the Eye is blind obedience." He looked at the Horsemen, who nodded in agreement. "However, since Daniel has refused this task, he is indirectly refusing to be a part of the Eye. The leaders are thinking of sacking him."

"Come on, man," Jack interjected. "Not part of the Eye anymore? But Daniel just joined; they can't just kick him out like that!"

The agent sighed and nodded before continuing. "Problem is, the Eye is an exclusive thing, and once you join you can't leave. That means if they want you to leave, you'll be executed."

Jack's eyes widened and Henley's gloved hands flew to her mouth to stifle a gasp. "That's a little extreme, don't you think?" Merritt commented, but the concern in his voice was evident.

"I've talked to the leaders, and since he's new, I convinced them to give him until noon tomorrow to accept. So, I was hoping you guys could talk to him."

A unanimous agreement was made as the three looked at each other. "Thanks for the head's up," Jack said grimly before they turned to make their way to Daniel's apartment. Henley stopped and signaled for them to go ahead before turning back to Dylan.

"I think I know what I can do to change his mind," she told him, a small yet hopeful smile on her face. "But I need your help."

"I'll see what I can do."

_._._._._.

Henley Reeves practically ran back into town, headed straight for Daniel's apartment. In her hands was a set of instructions, exactly the same as the set Daniel had. She had read it, and knew exactly why he had refused to accept the task.

During the time as his assistant, she learnt many things about him, one of them being that he had a very strained relationship with his brother. And she knew that of the three of them, she knew him best, and if she could do this with him, he may be more convinced.

She barged into his apartment, and scanned the living room. Daniel was sitting on the couch, leg propped on the table. Merritt was proving useless, leaning against the wall opposite him, a beer bottle in his hand and a few empty ones on the floor. Jack was trying very hard to talk to Daniel, but the tiredness in his voice was evident, and he kept glancing at the wall clock reading 2.45 in the morning.

"Danny!" her voice rang out and everyone turned to look at her. "You have to take up the task."

Daniel looked at her with a resigned sigh. "I can't, and you don't even know what it's about!" he answered.

She waved her set of instructions in front of his face. "To hell I don't! I know all about your task, and your brother."

"Wait, you have a brother? Is this what all this is about?" Jack asked, but he went ignored.

"You don't know about what happened between us, okay? It's complicated, and there's no damn way I can do this, even if it means I'm going to die."

Henley took a step back, shocked. She had been shocked as well when Dylan told them that Daniel had refused to accept, but this was different. This was him admitting defeat, admitting that he couldn't do it. And if there was anything she learnt in the time she worked for him and with him, it was that Daniel had too big of an ego to say that there was something he couldn't handle.

She inhaled sharply before gazing right into his eyes. "What the hell is up with you? You're Daniel Atlas for God's sake; you don't back down from anything!" She paused to catch her breath. "Besides, you haven't even considered the fact that someone might be able to go with you and help you out."

He shook his head. "The Eye would never approve. If they're heartless enough to kill me then there's no way they'll let anyone help."

A smirk played on Henley's lips as she held up her set of instructions, showing him the name on top of it, reading Henley Reeves. "I wouldn't be too sure about that."

_._._._._.

The duo stood outside Geo-netics, both in costume. Daniel would gain access as a technician to fix the computer which he had hacked into earlier, while Henley was in her signature blazer and skirt, entering for a job interview.

"You know the plan, right? Is everything ready and prepared? We should have rehearsed this once or twice more, now that I think about it."

Henley rolled her eyes before clutching his hand in reassurance. Always the control freak, always needing to make sure that everything was in place. Plus the fact that Daniel was nervous about this. "Danny. I've worked with you for a while now, so you should know that I never do a trick without being prepared."

He offered her a small smile, and released her hand. He brought his arm up and he glanced at his watch, the minute hand touching the 12. "It's showtime." Their eyes met once more before the two parted, heading for the different entrances of the huge building.

_._._._._.

Daniel's hands were shaking as his fingers lay on the keypad, about to press the enter key. Just a tap and he would accomplish his mission and destroy his brother, helping dozens of others in the process. Could he really do this? He had ten minutes before time's up, for he had always planned ahead and was prepared for delays.

A buzz came from his back pocket and he reached into it, taking out his phone. Message from Henley Reeves: _You can do this, I believe in you._

His lips curled into his signature smirk, his confidence boosted from those eight words. He pressed the button and the bar on his screen filled up, draining the company's account. He closed the laptop and deposited it into his bag, before slinging it across his shoulder and leaving the building.

He headed for the café opposite the building and took a seat, waiting for Henley. Not long later, she emerged from the main doors and made her way to his table, sitting across him. "I take it you got my text." A smile was on her face, glad that he was able to clear the mission successfully.

"Yes, that was most helpful," he replied, shrinking back into his calculative, emotionless shell. Now that it was over, he needed to get over it, to make everyone think that he wasn't affected by the entire situation. But he couldn't fool Henley.

She narrowed her eyes at him, her smile disappearing. "So, what happened between you and your brother?" she questioned him, insisting on him opening up to her.

As expected, he looked away, avoiding any eye contact with her and dodging the question. "I'd rather not talk about that, if you don't mind."

That didn't deter her, as she pressed on, her intense gaze boring right into his skull. "As a matter of fact, Danny, I do mind. I just saved your ass back there, but you don't have the decency to explain anything to me?"

"I didn't ask you to help me, now did I? It was of your own free will, and I will have no part in spilling my heart out just to satisfy you." The words came out in that smug and arrogant tone which Henley wanted to get rid of by giving him a tight slap.

Instead, she just stood up. "You know what your problem is? Your stupid ego keeps getting in the way of things. We could've been something more, but you were too cowardly, hiding in your pride. When will your control-freak mind realize that you can't control feelings?"

The words were harsh, but they needed to be said. He looked up and met her eyes, and she saw something completely unfamiliar – hurt. Hurt which he tried so hard to hide that he let everyone think he was a big jerk. That made her hesitate and want to stay a while, but after a speech like that, how could she? So, she just grabbed her coat and walked off, never looking back.

_._._._._.

Henley was sitting on her couch, reading a book, when a knock came from the door. She tilted her head to the side and put her book down on the coffee table as the knock came again, this time more insistent. She made her way to the door and opened it, revealing someone she did not expect to see. "Danny," she greeted.

He nodded at her, before gesturing to go inside. "May I?" Henley moved aside, allowing him to enter before closing the door behind him. The two sat next to each other on the sofa, knees barely touching.

"You were right," Daniel admitted, looking rather abashed. He wanted to tell her more, but the sudden change in personality might overwhelm her too much. "And I'm sorry."

Her face had a surprised look on it, totally not expecting this at all. Daniel never apologizes to anyone, even if he knew he was right. She nodded, accepting his apology, but is at a loss for words.

Daniel watches her every move, every change in expression, until he knows it's okay to continue. "My brother and I never saw eye to eye, and he was a very materialistic person. He loved money, and he would often scam people, even as a child. I suspected the Eye might have wanted him as a target, but I had no idea he wanted me to be the one to do it."

"Do you think that since he has nothing now, he may come looking for you?" The question had bugged her a little when she was wondering how it was like to be in his situation.

He looked up at her, but it looked like he had thought it out. "Me? Daniel Atlas? I may not be an escape artist like you," he paused to give her a cheeky wink, "But since two weeks ago, Daniel Atlas doesn't exist," he reminded her, referring to their initiation into the Eye.

The duo fell into silence as they sat next to each other, unsure of what to say next. The tension was heavy, and the feeling of wanting to say something, but not being able to say it was in both of them. Finally, Henley decided to break the silence.

"Thank you. For sharing with me," she said, a tad bit awkwardly. He nodded back, unsure of how to reply. "Maybe being a control freak isn't so bad after all."

He looked at her, a small frown on his face. "I am not a control freak." The disagreement seemed to have been rehearsed, after saying it so many times.

She reached for his hand and took it. "Yes, you are. But," she continued before he had another chance to object. "That's what I love about you." The stunned look on his face was priceless, and he was at a complete loss for words. "After all, it was your control freak mind which refused to accept the task of blind obedience that I had to step in. And I think we both know what it's going to lead to."

The pair was now right next to each other, skin against skin, hip to hip, and one masculine hand lying underneath a gloved one. Their foreheads were touching, and not a moment too soon, their lips met in a kiss, moving against each other and releasing the passion and energy felt but never shown.

They pulled apart after a moment, their breathing heavy. A genuine smile, no longer an arrogant smirk, played on Daniel's lips, and Henley was absolutely beaming.

She was right. He was a control freak, and it hid his emotions and his feelings. It kept him from experiencing true happiness, fear, anger, love. And it was all because all of those were too out of control for a man like Daniel Atlas. But it was what drew Henley to him so much, to want to be the one to break that egoistic shell and let the real Daniel out. To show emotion only when it needed to be shown. To refuse something, asking for help and knowing that she'd be the one to help him.

Maybe having a control freak mind wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**A/N Hopefully you guys liked it. It may have been a little OOC, but you never know how a person can react under such emotional circumstances. I really have no clue about the Eye and how it works, but this is just my perspective and it may be a little extreme and heartless but I think that it just may be like this. Yes, I know I have a very messed up imagination if my idea of the Eye is a bunch of guys killing people who don't follow their every order. ****Anyway, I'd be really glad if you favourited/reviewed this. Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed this story.**

**~DBT**


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